Friday, 27 November 2009

Chris Clark's nebulous and frenzied electronic style has earned him a few fans since his Clarence Park album was released on Warp Records in 2001 and this was pretty much proved when he played to a packed crowd at the DEAF festival last month.

Totem's Flare released earlier this year, gathered him a new breed of followers, but it's hard to say if his remix of Maximo Park's Let's Get Clinical will do him any favours. Don't get me wrong I think it's a cracking remix that makes an average track really good, I just can't really see the majority of Maximo Park fans who love their indie pop getting this.

Thursday, 26 November 2009

The Fever Ray album is definitely one of my favourite albums of this year. It's eerie demeanour throughout is somewhat unusual, yet comforting because of that and an array of ghostly video's have accompanied the album's strange manner since it's release earlier this year.

So Keep The Streets Empty For Me is no exception to their ongoing theme. It's dark and features a girl creeping around a deserted area of a city at night and is shot beautifully.Directorial duties came from Swedish duoJens Klevje and Fabian Svensson who wanted "to catch the feeling in a very direct and true way and create a video where dream and reality intertwine", a feeling they definitely have captured well.

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

After announcing the release of their brand new studio album Oddblood, out the first week of February, Yeasayer are set to hit the road and have just confirmed a gig at The Academy in Dublin on February 20th 2010. Happy Days! You can get all the info you need HERE.Tickets on sale this Friday November 27th.In the meantime enjoy the fabulously weird and wonderful video to Ambling Alp.

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Last month I blogged about the new release due from Late Of The Pier.It's no secret that Fantasy Black Channel was my favourite album of 2008 and just as the withdrawal symptoms set in and I waited eagerly for some new LOTP madness, they go ahead and announce details of their brand new double A-side single. Nice one!

Best In The Class and Blueberry are two brand new tracks from Late Of The Pier and both were produced by DJ supreme Erol Alkan.They also got their first airing on Erol's 6Mix radio show, the latter only a couple of days ago and you can hear it below. I must say Erol's magic dust, sprinkled nicely on this makes Blueberry a whole different track from the live version doing the rounds on Youtube.

The release of Best In The Class/Blueberry is due in for February on Zarcorp. Watch this space for more details and let us know what you think.

Brooklyn, NY keep churning out the goods as another band to emerge from their very healthy music scene and slap you in the face with goodness are White Rabbits.

Originally from Missouri, this six piece indie rock band are about to drop their second studio album at the end of January and it is titled It's Frightening through Mute Records. Despite already having released this in the US, White Rabbits are still fairly new in this part of the world.They cite Bob Dylan and The Specials as their influence of choice and have toured with The Walkmen and Richard Swift. Percussion Gun is their new single out now also through Mute and it is one of those 'on repeat' tracks. Test it for yourself!

Monday, 23 November 2009

Ireland's finest hip hop outfit Messiah J & The Expert must never sleep, as they return with two brand new tunes, to be released exclusively through the Richter Collective Singles Club.This hard working twosome are set to bring out a double A-side, 7" single this Friday November 27th and the only way to get your hands on it is to turn up to the launch gig in The Twisted Pepper where, limited copies shall be given to the first 200 punters through the door.

The first of the two tracks Acting The Maggot is described "as a banger in the classic Hip Hop mould on which MJEX celebrate the joys of being young, fighty and irresponsible in the modern day, over a concoction of swooping strings, snapping drums, sickly scratching and terrifically tasty guitars". The second A-side is the psychedelic offering If You Don't Want To Know The Score, Look Away Now which features unique and wonderful vocals from Jennifer Evans.

Both tracks are a must have for Mjex and hip hop fans alike so don't miss what is sure to be a top notch night. See you up the front! Doors 9pm with support from Crayonsmith and tax is €10.

Twin Atlantic return with the raucous What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?, the third single to be released from their sterling debut album Vivarium. The band shot the video in sunny LA last month and despite no sun actually featuring in the video it's still extremely slick.The lads have just announced details of another headline tour of the UK to kick off in January with Irish dates to be added soon. Watch this space.

There is a debate amongst Crookers fans right now over the Italian duo's latest single featuring Kelis (now you know what she has been up to of late) called No Security. Basically is it good enough? Famed for their electro based remixes of tracks for Kid Cudi, U2 and The Chemical Brothers to name three, Crookers have come up with a dub step track for their latest offering but surely that's not a bad thing right? I happen to like it anyway.

No Security is taken from Crookers forthcoming debut release titled Tons Of Friends out in March on Southern Fried Records.In the meantime have a look at some marksman in full army combat out hunting in the woods...

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Vampire Weekend return with a harder edge to their sound and image with their brand new single Cousins. Gone are the chino's and polo shirts that sit nicely with Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, to reveal a slightly less polished sound and image.The video to accompany Cousins is of the usual high quality you would come to expect in a Vampire Weekend video and this quirky number is directed by Garth Jennings (Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy & Son Of Rambow) who also directed A-Punk.Cousins is taken from the new Vampire Weekend album Contra out on January 9th

Friday, 13 November 2009

The third track to be released as single from Simian Mobile Disco's latest release Temporary Pleasure is the fabulous Cruel Intentions featuring The Gossip's leading lady Beth Ditto.Already a favourite on dance floors all around the world it's no wonder this is next choice of release for the SMD lads.The video itself is weird and a little sinister but I like it. Happy weekend folks.

Thursday, 12 November 2009

It's almost the weekend and tomorrow night it kicks off with superb action in the Twisted Pepper on Middle Abbey Street with three kick ass band all taking to the stage.

First up is Slurps. There are six of them in the band and they played their first show back in June for the first Noises In Our Heads gig. Since then they have been travelling on Camel back around the country playing shows to nice people and even supported the mighty Bats last month. They play indie rock and are damn good too so get down there early.

Guilty Optics are a rock trio who play "melodic rock that will melt your face", so if you like the idea of a face melt down then this is the band for you. Having recently played with Elk, Jogging, Alias Empire and Sweet Jane, you shall be hearing a lot more about these lads in the near future.

Headlining tomorrow night proceedings are the uber fantastic Talulah Does The Hula.They are four girls born from the ashes of The Chalets and Neosupervital, combined with drummer supreme Michael and viola, you have a 60's inspired pop group that write 'Wickedly clever and sexy pop tunes". Their current single Bad Boyfriend is as contagious as swine flu and the video to accompany is slick.

So there you have it, tomorrow night is going to be a party and it shall cost you only a €5.

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

Dublin newbies The Indecent Cigar Emporium play their first official gig as part of the second Noises In Our Heads gig in the Twisted Pepper next Wednesday November 18th. To celebrate this momentous occasion they have put two new tracks up on their MySpace for all to enjoy. The first is 70's inspired funk driven Hydromedusa while Love Simulator is a four minute funky electronic, psychedelic jam that will have you dancing your toes off. You heard all about it here first!

Also playing the Noises In Our Heads gig is Lumière and The Evening Watch who shall headline the evenings proceedings. For more info go HERE.

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Warp Records are yet again on the ball when it comes to signing decent talent and Portland Oregon's Nice Nice are no exception. Duo Jason Buehler and Mark Shirazi have been playing together for about 10 years and their music is all about the loops which they prefer to do rather than use samples and the result is ace.A wonderful mish mash of hypnotic rhythms and intense, consequential guitars all ready for the listening.

The first track to be released from Nice Nice on Warp is One Hit which shall be available on 7" format from November 20th but, as an introduction to the band you can download the mp3 of One Hit and it's B-side Ark Drum from the Warp websitefor free. This precedes the bands new album Extra Wow which is released here in April.Nice Nice are also about to embark on a European tour so head to the Warp site for dates and details.In the meantime have a listen to both below.

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Southend-On-Sea favourites These New Puritans have just announced details of their brand new studio album Hidden, released here on January 15th 2010. The album is produced by band members Jack Barnett and Graham Sutton and was mixed by the man who has mixed and produced for J Dilla, Madlib and MF DOOM, Dave Cooley. A note posted in the news section on the Domino Records website said 'the album draws equally on on the rhythmic lexicons of dancehall and 20th century post-minimalism, with instrumentation redolent of both the oceanic brass of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes and the plastic textures of modern U.S. pop. It is sometimes brutal, sometimes melancholy, and sounds like nothing else'.

Instruments used in the recording of Hidden include; six-foot Japanese Taiko drums, a thirteen piece brass and woodwind ensembleand Foley recording techniques (including a melon with cream crackers attached struck by a hammer, used to simulate the sound of a human head being smashed)...lovely!Angular Records shall be releasing the album in the UK and Ireland while Domino shall release the album worldwide.